Reframing child abuse and neglect research through a social work lens: a global bibliometric and thematic evolution analysis (2000–2025)

Introduction: Child neglect and abuse research has expanded rapidly, yet its development has rarely been mapped through a social work lens centered on child welfare and child protection systems. This study provides a bibliometric mapping of the child neglect and abuse literature within the social work context from 2000 to 2025. Methods: Records were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus, merged, deduplicated, and screened, yielding a final dataset of 6,132 journal articles and reviews. Using bibliometrix and VOSviewer, annual publication and citation trends, co-authorship networks involving authors, institutions, and countries, co-citation structures, bibliographic coupling, keyword co-occurrence with overlay visualization, and thematic evolution across three periods (2000-2012, 2013-2019, and 2020-2025) were examined. Results: Publication output showed sustained growth, increasing from 109 publications in 2000 to 362 in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 5%. Collaboration was concentrated in high-income countries, with the United States serving as a central hub strongly connected to the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Conceptual mapping indicated a stable core around child abuse and child maltreatment, alongside a shift toward system- and prevention-oriented themes such as child welfare and child protection. Foster care emerged as a prominent motor theme, whereas juvenile justice appeared as a niche theme. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the field has expanded while progressively re-centering on welfare and protection systems. The study provides an empirical baseline for future interdisciplinary research and practice-oriented knowledge translation.